Summer in the Park (or Leisure in the Park)
Painting on canvas or canvasboard • Maurice Brazil Prendergast (1858–1924)
Style & Movement
American Post-Impressionism / The Eight (Ashcan School associate)
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas, utilizing a distinctive mosaic-like impasto with short, staccato brushstrokes and heavy layering of pigments.
Creation Period
Circa 1910–1915
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 18 x 22 inches; Landscape format
Subject Description
A group of women and children in a park-like coastal setting. Features include figures in white and pink dresses, a horse in the background, and small dogs in the foreground. The composition focuses on the decorative arrangement of color and form rather than individual portraiture, evoking a tapestry-like effect.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Fair to Good; The surface shows significant craquelure and areas of pigment loss or fragility characteristic of Prendergast’s experimental layering techniques.
Estimated Market Value
$250,000 - $450,000 USD
Auction Estimate
$200,000 - $400,000 USD
Provenance History
Likely acquired through a New York gallery (such as Kraushaar) or private American collection; the 'Prendergast' signature at the lower left is consistent with his later period works.
Art Historical Significance
Prendergast was a bridge between American Impressionism and Modernism. His unique style transformed everyday scenes into abstract, jewel-like patterns, heavily influenced by French Post-Impressionists like Vuillard and Bonnard. This work represents his mature, fully developed 'mosaic' style.
Notable Features
The signature 'Prendergast' in the lower-left corner; the distinctive 'stitched' or mosaic brushwork that creates a flattened, decorative space characteristic of his late career.
Condition Issues
Evident fine-line cracking (craquelure) throughout the heavy impasto; possible dry pigment syndrome; minor abrasions around the edges near the frame.
Conservation Recommendations
Professional structural consolidation of the paint layer to prevent further flaking; cleaning of surface grime; display in a climate-controlled environment with UV-filtered glazing.